Leanne Cahill in

Leanne Cahill

Initiator · DISC type Di
Chief Executive Officer at icon
📍 Southwell, England, United Kingdom

Leanne Cahill is a growth-focused CEO at icon, recognized for her expertise in retail, M&A, and founder transitions. People often describe her as an authentic, ambitious, and inspirational leader. A graduate of the University of Sunderland and a Chartered Management Accountant, she combines sharp commercial acumen with a passion for customer experience.

Born in Sunderland, Leanne is married with two children and enjoys camping and walking with her family in their motorhome across the UK and Europe. She is passionate about promoting social mobility and access to higher education through her ceremonial role as Chancellor of her alma mater, the University of Sunderland.

Unique fact: Leanne was born with one hand and speaks openly about how her working-class background and regional accent have sometimes been more of a barrier than her limb difference.

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Experience
27 Years
Current Role
Chief Executive Officer
Job Level
Leadership
Location
Southwell, England, United Kingdom
Personality Overview

How Leanne shows up

Confident
Risk-Accepting
Impact-Oriented

They measure a product on its merit but can be influenced by strong testimonials. They usually prefer to drive the conversation. They don’t mind taking a stand if they believe in something.

Priorities

Topics Leanne cares about

Founder Transitions
Her experience as the first CEO to follow the founder at Bravissimo gives her unique insight into navigating this critical business phase.
Purpose-Driven Leadership
She emphasizes creating an environment where teams understand the business's purpose, a core theme in her leadership style and personal introduction.
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Career

Work history

11-2025
Chief Executive Officer
icon
11-2025
Chief Executive Officer
BGRP Holdings | Certified B Corp®
11-2023
Chancellor
University of Sunderland
12-2020 - 4-2025
CEO
Bravissimo
9-2018 - 12-2020
Managing Director
Bravissimo
In the press

Media appearances

icon appoints former Bravissimo boss as new CEO. Featured in Insider Media
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Sunderland Chancellor Leanne Cahill new head of icon Group. Featured in Northern Echo
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Education
2000 - 2003
ACMA
The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants
1996 - 2000
BA (hons) 2:1
University of Sunderland
Social presence
in
Behavioral profile

DISC profile (public)

D

Dominance (D)

Dominance (D) reflects how goal and task oriented a person is, and their ability to accomplish results irrespective of how demanding the circumstances might be. Those scoring high tend to be motivated by winning, competition, and success.

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